Rebuilding a Lost Friendship
by Shika and Stormfur's Sweetie
Summary: Was there more to Applekit and Birchkit's goodbye? Was there a promise not fulfilled because of an accident on the Thunderpath with Applepaw? Why did Applepaw and her brother become banished from the allegiances? Rated for saftey, R&R. Slowly BirchApple.
1. Prolouge

**Setting:**** Gathering of all the cats to say good-bye**

**POV:**** Applekit**

**Time Period:**** Before the Clans separate... the night before**

**Prolouge:**** Grown Kits; the Promise**

**Summary for the Prolouge:**** There was a little more to Applekit and Birchkit's good-bye than... good-bye. Enjoy.**

There was a snap and a whirl of wind in the crisp night that surrounded a group of huddled cats. The moon was outlined faintly in the navy-ebony sky where Silverpelt peeked through from StarClan. All was quiet. All was peacful. A few cats were bidding their friends from other Clans good-bye, mostly all warriors with the priveledge. A few were Sandstorm and Mistyfoot, Rainwhisker and Swallowtail, Mothwing and Leafpaw, and Whitepaw and three unreconizable apprentices about her age. Squirrelflight, Brambleclaw, Crowfeather, and Tawnypelt were also huddled together offside of Ashfoot and a RiverClan queen.

All the kits were sleeping in the mass of cats except two. One was a pale she-kit of ShadowClan with beautiful green eyes. She was fidgeting restlessly and looked perplexed. The second was a small ThunderClan tomkit with a brown pelt. He was gazing at the stars looking extremely sad. While Birchkit was curled alone, Applekit was curled with her two brothers, Marshkit and Toadkit. She felt more uncomforable talking to her brothers because they often teased her. She gave one last look at Silverpelt before setting her paws to one side of her body and jumping up, her tail moving along with the breeze. Little did she know, at the same time a tom a little older than her did the same thing. A tomkit to be more exact. Scooting away from her mother and siblings, Applekit prowled quietly over to a small bush and waited.

Soon enough another kit slipped in. His fur was slicked and glossier than usual; the helpful prey had taken a healthy look to Birchkit. Delighted to see him she purred and playfully batted his paw with her shealthed claws.

"Hello, Birchkit..." she murmured, a kit-like look still glimmering in her eyes. Then she sighed and a more mature look appeared in place of the kit-look. "It's terrible how we have to go away forever."

"Forever," echoed Birchkit, shaking his head. "Not forever. Promise we'll see each other at Gatherings?"

"Promise, mousebrain." Applekit gave Birchkit a lick on the ear. "Marshkit and Toadkit too."

"Yes, them too," Birchkit echoed again. "Maybe I'll have some cats to introduce you to then... I wish you could have met Hollykit and Larchkit..." His eyes died down a bit and Applekit gave him soothing strokes with her tail. She didn't understand how it was like to loose siblings but she knew obviously that it wasn't exactly a piece of juicy prey.

They sat in silence for a few moments. Birchkit started at Applekit and Applekit stared at Birchkit and both had a look of happiness in their eyes.

"I'll see you soon, Applekit," Birchkit murmured. Ferncloud didn't want him out here at all, Applekit knew. The protective queen was an amazing role in her life; Ferncloud often scolded her like her own kit but loved her like her own too.

"Yeah... 'Bye, Birchkit..." Applekit's last words tasted bitter. She wanted to touch her nose to Birchkit's again but couldn't bring herself to move. He seemed so far away... and suddenly she knew StarClan was watching her every move.

"Birchkit!" called Applekit. Birchkit turned around to face her. "I-if I don't see you again..." she stammered. "Just remember, I'll never forget you." Birchkit smiled.

"I won't forget you either, Applekit." And this time he was the one to touch his tiny nose to her's.

**Ta-da! The beginning! The super-short prolouge! The almost way-too-short prolouge! But I don't want it to be any longer! Yeah for not-longness! (can you tell i've have way too much caffine? mmmhmm) **

**Ok, promise so much it'll get totally better. I know I've put myself in way over my head- gasp FOUR stories I'm supposively suppose to update? -shakes head sadly- Welll-p, I guess I'll have to take turns. This isn't gonna be a long fic. Short & sweet within a few chapter of mushy-goodness. Well, not too mushy. I'm against super-mushy-love things. Yeah for not-super-mushy fics! Ok, yeah, anyways, this'll probably go to about 5 chapters...? If not, give or take a few within reason. I already have half the next chapter ready to go so... yep. I'm trying her. I'm the kind of writer who piles up way too much stuff and then expects herself to do it none-the-less. Oh, well...**

**REVIEWS, please, I don't care who you are... oops, sorry, actually I **_**do**_** care. But.. yeah. REVIEW. They are very welcome. && you get your very own...**

**SUPER Warriors action figure WITH moving CLAWS and TAIL and FIGHTING moves... all in the cat of YOUR choice. (limited time offer... haha, just kidding. free to all)**

**Tehehe- Stormfur's Sweetie**


	2. The Accident Flicker of Hope

**Setting:**** The ShadowClan and ThunderClan border (Thunderpath border)**

**POV:**** Birchpaw**

**Time Period:**** A little while after Birchpaw is apprenticed.**

**Chapter One:**** The Accident; Flicker of Hope**

"Applepaw?" Birchpaw whispered. He was staring across the old Thunderpath. A small she-cat was crouched beside it, a gash in her head. A small tabby tom was crouched beside her and Birchpaw knew it must have been Littlecloud, ShadowClan's trusted medicine cat.

Neither of them responed to Birchpaw's soft call so he raised his voice and mewed clearly, "Littlecloud, Applepaw? Is everything alright?"

This time the tabby tom- Littlecloud?- looked over. A faint spark lightened in his eyes and he called over horsly, "Please, get Leafpool. She's hurt... she probably won't make it..." Birchpaw's tail shot up in alarm as he began scrabbling back into ThunderClan territory with his fast-beating heart. Applepaw... injured. Visions of them as kits swarmed in Birchpaw's head and he was afraid for her. He didn't want Applepaw to die... he hadn't talked to her once since the journey and he had looked forward to that.

Left, right, back, left, left, right, turn halfways right... he was at camp. "Leafpool! Leafpool!" he yowled as soon as he spotted her tabby for talking with a ginger she-cat. "Leafpool, hurry! Littlecloud has a hurt ShadowClan apprentice and he _needs _help or she's going to die!" Birchpaw wasn't the least bit tired, his eyes peeled back, and his brown pelt spiked. At first he thought Leafpool didn't registered but then he was certain as she nodded and mewed a few words quickly to Squirrelflight. The proud medicine cats' look spread across Leafpool's face. The I'm-a-medicine-cat-and-I-help-every-cat-not-just-my-own-and-this-cat-needs-me-so-let's-all-hurry-and-stay-calm look. Every medicine cat had their own little tweak in that trademark look. Leafpool's was that her eyes would stay bright and she would be more graceful and calm than usual.

"Follow me!" Birchpaw urged as Leafpool came back with Squirrelflight (who was glaring angrily at...) and Brambleclaw (who was icily ignoring the ginger cat beside him) and Ashfur (who looked pleased and unpleased to be there). In short, Leafpool stared behind Birchpaw with Brambleclaw, Squirrelflight, and Ashfur (not the smartest patrol).

"This way!" Birchpaw directed. The herbs in Leafpool's mouth were not reconizable to him. "Over a little, yeah, here- there!"

Birchpaw pointed his tail over to the black surface and the two cats crouched beside it. Littlecloud looked automatically overjoyed to see them despite the situation and there went Proud ThunderClan Medicine Cat over to help him. Birchpaw knew it was insulting to think of Leafpool like that but he wondered if she should even be helping.

"Yes... really?... injured how long ago?... we'll need... yes... I have some... ok, let's get started," came Leafpool's commanding mew.

Birchpaw watched with Ashfur at his side as Leafpool worked with Littlecloud to apply some cobwebs and stickly leaves to Applepaw's crimsom wound.

"She'll be ok, right?" Birchpaw whispered to Ashfur. When Ashfur didn't answer, Brambleclaw did.

"Birchpaw, you need to understand that accidents like this..." he began quietly. "Not every cat is as lucky as Cinderpelt was when she... she was in the accident-"

"That doesn't mean Applepaw won't be as lucky!" Ashfur snapped. Squirrelflight glared at both toms and stalked over to where Littlecloud and Leafpool were. "She'll live!"

"She might not live without an injury, though," Brambleclaw mewed. Birchpaw narrowed his eyes. Brambleclaw was doing _his_ signature stay-calm-to-infuriate-the-opponet move. The classic.

"Look, it's ok," Birchpaw mewed quickly, drawing his brown tail across the ground. He sounded much more confident than before. "She may be ok... she may not be. I get it. End of the question."

While Brambleclaw and Ashfur were resembling angry badgers, Birchpaw raised his head a bit to try and catch a quick glimsp of the pretty she-cat laying on the group. She looked terrible; her fur was matted and blown everywhere. The gash on her head was dirty and blouched; it was also dripping down her beautiful features. _Beautiful features? Birchpaw, you haven't seen this cat in moons and you are starting to like her? Nope. You don't even know her personality and if it's still the same or if... Beautiful. Green. Eyes. The way she laughed and her green eyes sparkled... her brothers always tried to watch out for her... she never needed them... BIRCHPA-A-AWW. _Stamping his paw, Birchpaw looked both ways before darting across to the place where small Applepaw lay. Was it so bad that they needed Cinderpelt as well? Or did they also need Barkface and Mothwing? Or did they need StarClan?

"Sweetie, come on," coaxed Leafpool as the tom medicine cat whispered more encouragments to her. In that time, Leafpool gently applied some gooish herb to Applefur's wound and into her partially open mouth. "Birchpaw, you are your mentor will accompany me and Littlecloud back to ShadowClan."

Birchpaw's eyes jumped out of his sockets. Nope. He couldn't bear it if on the way Applepaw might... might...

"Ok, Leafpool," he answered weakly. His tiny brown paws shuffled in the dirt as he waited for his mentor to join him. Ashfur came stalking over moments later with Brambleclaw on his heels. The tabby tom looked intently over at the apprentice and then let out a mew of surprise.

"That's Tawnypelt's apprentice," he mewed informativly. Squirrelflight whipped her head around to him and Birchpaw winced. Tawnypelt would be even more disreguarded by ShadowClan once they found out that it was her who should have been with her apprentice.

Together, Littlecloud and Leafpool lifted the moaning Applepaw off the ground as Ashfur and Birchpaw followed close behind. The whole time, worries swam through Birchpaw's head. What if she wasn't ok? His heart pounded loud and hard as he gave a sigh. Why was he even bothering with this?...

"Is she ok?" Birchpaw uttered for the sixth time. Leafpool shrugged for the sixth time and Littelcoud winced for the sixth time. Ashfur placed his tail on Birchpaw's shoulders for the sixth time.

Birchpaw grumbled in anxiousness. He was extremely scared but also bothered by the fact that StarClan let this happen. What had Applepaw done wrong? His head thudded with the steps that his medicine cat, his mentor, and the ShadowClan medicine cat took. They all looked worried, especially Leafpool, which was a bad sign in any case.

---

"You may leave now!" snapped Blackstar for the second time. Birchpaw stood beside Ashfur while Littlecloud and Leafpool frozen helplessly. Blackstar had malice in his eyes and that wasn't a very good sign.

"Birchpaw, we must leave," Ashfur mewed to his stubborn apprentice. Birchpaw was stricken though. Leave Applepaw?

"But I need to know if she's ok!" exclaimed Birchpaw fiercly. His mentor shook his head though and Birchpaw took one last look at Applepaw.

Little did he know, he would see Applepaw soon... but not that he would like how he found her. She would be breathing, but in a different world.

_Told you this was gonna be kinda short chapters and brief explinations. Well, all you need to know here is that Applepaw was hit by a monster and is supposivly suffering head trama, Blackstar is very anrgy with Applepaw for some reason and that makes his sour to everyone, and that Leafpool knows something about this._


End file.
